Mount Hua Is Not the Place You Must Protect (5)
He had thought he was used to it now.
He had thought he knew everything.
But Hyun Jong’s current expression was so unfamiliar it felt like he had turned into a different person altogether.
Had this man always possessed such a side to him?
Hyun Jong’s face was hard and cold, and he carried a weight Chung Myung had never seen before.
“I sometimes find myself thinking about something.”
“…….”
“Am I truly your sect leader?”
Chung Myung could not answer. He shut his mouth and said nothing.
“What is a sect leader?”
“……The one who leads a sect.”
“Wrong.”
Hyun Jong looked straight at Chung Myung as he spoke.
“A sect leader is not the one who leads a sect, but the one who protects it. To carry on the sect’s line, to carry on its will, and to protect its disciples—that is the role of a sect leader.”
“…….”
“And yet!”
His voice was icy.
“A disciple of Mount Hua that I am supposed to protect is trying to protect me! A disciple of Mount Hua that I am supposed to protect is trying to stand in my place and protect Mount Hua instead!”
His voice was not very loud, but it struck Chung Myung’s chest harder than any scolding he had ever heard in his life.
“Chung Myung.”
“……Yes, Sect Leader.”
“I do not know you.”
“…….”
Hyun Jong paused for a moment. Then, after a brief silence, he slowly continued.
“How you have lived, what kind of circumstances you have had—I do not know. Nor do I want to ask. Whatever your story may be, once you entered Mount Hua and declared yourself a disciple of Mount Hua, you are nothing more than a disciple of Mount Hua that I must protect!”
Something in Chung Myung’s chest shook violently.
Without realizing it, he bit down hard on his lip.
“Where were you planning to go with that sword?”
“…….”
“Were you going to charge into Maninbang and dance with blades? Did you think that if you cut down every fool in sight until you collapsed, the anger in your chest would somehow go away?”
“I…….”
“You foolish brat!”
Hyun Jong’s voice thundered through the room.
“You were afraid to take your sect brothers with you because you thought they might die, and you couldn’t bring yourself to convince yourself that you could handle it alone, so you were going to sneak out where no one could see you and vent your frustration?”
It was fury and grievance.
No—it was closer to a cry than a rebuke.
“Why not just shout it out in the open? Why not scream that you can’t forgive those Maninbang bastards and that everyone should charge in together? You couldn’t bear the anger surging up inside you, and you were afraid your sect brothers would get hurt? Was that what scared you so much?”
“…….”
“What exactly is it that you want to do?”
“This disciple…….”
Chung Myung bit down on his lip again. Countless words surged up his throat, but not a single one could come out.
When no answer came, Hyun Jong spoke first.
“If you alone bear Mount Hua on your shoulders and drag it toward some lofty peak, what will be left to you? The pride of having protected Mount Hua? The satisfaction of having led it? That cheap, worthless self-righteousness that no one else will ever recognize, the idea that you sacrificed yourself for Mount Hua?”
Hyun Jong shook his head.
“Do not mistake things, Chung Myung. Mount Hua is not the place you must protect.”
“…….”
“It is not you who protects Mount Hua. It is Mount Hua that protects you. You are a disciple of Mount Hua as well. So why do you insist on carrying Mount Hua all by yourself?”
“This disciple…….”
“The glory of having blocked Maninbang belongs wholly to Mount Hua, and yet you would go and walk that thorn-covered road alone again. Then let me ask you this: are your sect brothers, your martial uncles and elders, and your sect leader the kind of people who would simply stand by and enjoy themselves while stepping on the blood you spilled on that road of thorns? Is that all we are to you?”
“……No. It’s not that, Sect Leader.”
Hyun Jong clenched his lips tightly.
This child was trying once again to shoulder everything alone.
“If you died there, do you think your sect brothers would have stayed still? Do you really think those brats would hear that you fell to Maninbang and still care about their own lives?”
Chung Myung shut his eyes under the weight of that harsh scolding.
Truth be told, he did not want to think too deeply about any of it.
He just needed somewhere to put this rage that felt like it was burning a hole through his gut. If he did not, he would never be able to stand this wretched self-loathing.
“Was this your fault?”
“…….”
“The moment you made a name for yourself in Jianghu, something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. If I had not been prepared for that, I would never have tried to make Mount Hua known to the world again. If you aren’t even prepared for that, how can you speak of glory?”
Hyun Jong’s rebuke was like the cold frost of autumn.
“If you think this is your fault and try to atone for it, then you are merely a pitiful fool. If your sect brothers shed blood and you were ready to rush off without thinking, then you are even more pathetic!”
Chung Myung lifted his head and looked at Hyun Jong.
Usually, Hyun Jong’s eyes were full of gentleness, but now they burned with fierce anger. Chung Myung found those eyes strangely familiar.
Because he had seen them before, many times.
You stupid brat!
Every time he came back bleeding, the sect leader would scold him severely. It was the same look he had seen back then.
“How long do you intend to keep treating Mount Hua like a child in your arms? Your sect brothers are no longer weak. There is no need for you to bleed yourself dry and mop up after them. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“……I do.”
“Yes. And because you understand that so well, you decided to go off and bleed on your own.”
“Sect Leader…….”
Hyun Jong closed his eyes as if taking a breath.
After a long moment of silently swallowing his anger, he opened his eyes again and looked at Chung Myung. The rage had faded somewhat, and sadness had filled the space it left behind.
“Chung Myung. Trust me a little more.”
“…….”
“I know very well how inadequate a person you think I am.”
“No, Sect Leader, I have never once……!”
“Listen to the end.”
“…….”
Hyun Jong let out a sigh and continued.
“I am an inadequate man. I know that. If it were not for you, Mount Hua would have collapsed long ago. So it is only natural that you do not trust me to protect Mount Hua as its sect leader.”
There was no self-mockery in his voice, no sorrow. He simply spoke with calm composure.
“But just as the disciples grow, I too do not remain forever the person I once was. Day by day, I strive to become a sect leader worthy of Mount Hua. And I am not the only one. All of Mount Hua’s disciples are working to become people worthy of the name Mount Hua.”
“……I know that.”
“Then why will you not trust us?”
“…….”
Chung Myung could not bear to meet Hyun Jong’s gaze and lowered his eyes slightly.
“This is not a matter between you and Maninbang. It is a matter between Mount Hua and Maninbang. That grudge must one day be settled by Mount Hua, and that price must one day be paid by Mount Hua. Do you not understand that if you insist on receiving Mount Hua’s blood debt all by yourself, you are essentially refusing to acknowledge Mount Hua itself?”
His head kept sinking lower. There was no fault in Hyun Jong’s words.
“I know.”
“…….”
“Your chest must be torn apart. How could it not? But Chung Myung, sometimes it is necessary to bury things for now. What would change if you personally condemned a few more from Maninbang?”
He knew Hyun Jong was right, and yet he still did not know what to do with the pain choking his heart.
“If you truly regard me as your sect leader, then think for three more days. And if, after that, you still cannot endure it—”
Hyun Jong’s voice remained utterly calm as he said,
“Then I, not you, will stand at the front and go destroy Maninbang.”
“…….”
“Stay by Un Geom’s side. That would be what he wants as well.”
When he finished speaking, Hyun Jong turned without another word and descended the mountain.
Chung Myung stood there like a stone statue, staring after him. Slowly, he lifted his head. The dark sky above seemed vast beyond measure.
“Sect Brother.”
No answer came.
“……This is hard.”
It was a small, weak voice, unlike Chung Myung at all.
“Will he be all right?”
“How would I know?”
“……He’s secretly a soft-hearted bastard.”
“Sect Brother, that’s a bit…….”
“Shut it.”
At Yoon Jong’s words, Jo Gul stuck his lower lip out.
He had tried to crack a joke and lighten the mood, but everyone’s eyes never once left the infirmary.
They were worried.
Both about Un Geom, who was hovering near death, and about Chung Myung, who had not left his side for even a single moment.
It had already been three days.
“That bastard doesn’t seem like he’s slept at all.”
“He’s injured too.”
“……And he’s not eating either.”
Baek Cheon let out a sigh.
Even affection can be a disease.
If he were just throwing his usual tantrums and raising hell, they would not be this worried.
“It’s not even his fault, and he still acts so suffocating.”
“……Exactly.”
Everyone, including Baek Cheon, sighed at once.
“What if something happens to Un Geom-sasuk and that bastard Chung Myung runs off to Maninbang?”
“We stop him.”
“……Can we even stop him?”
“If we can’t stop him, we go with him.”
“Huh?”
Baek Cheon said it with a hard face and absolute certainty.
“There’s no way I’m watching that bastard run wild and die alone. I’ll stay beside him, and if I have to, I’ll grab hold of his leash and drag him back.”
“……Sasuk, do you ever realize you’re completely hopeless?”
“Shut up.”
Baek Cheon kept his gaze fixed on the infirmary, opening and closing his fists quietly.
You stupid idiot.
At last, a sigh escaped his lips before he could stop it.
Haa. Haa.
The sound of breathing grew weaker and weaker.
Chung Myung watched Un Geom without moving a muscle.
No matter how much internal energy he poured in, the condition did not improve. Day by day, Un Geom only seemed to worsen.
Sasuk.
He had seen too much.
He had lost too much.
That was why he did not want to lose even one more thing. Having lost everything once already, he wanted to clutch everything in both hands.
Was that such a foolish wish?
“Sahyung…….”
At some point, Dang Soso had come up beside him and was speaking to him with worried eyes.
“Please rest a little.”
“I’m fine.”
“At this rate, you’ll collapse before he does.”
“I’m fine.”
“…….”
She looked as if she wanted to say more, but soon she shook her head. Dragging Chung Myung away now would not be for his sake. For now, they could only watch.
Even as she quietly stepped back out, Chung Myung never once took his eyes off Un Geom.
“Sasuk.”
Perhaps it would not be such a bad death after all. For Un Geom, who had lived for his disciples, dying while protecting them might even be a source of satisfaction.
But still.
Not yet.
Chung Myung had not yet done everything he could for Un Geom. Just as Un Geom had wanted to protect his disciples, Chung Myung also wanted to protect the heirs of Mount Hua.
Not yet.
Quietly, Chung Myung took hold of Un Geom’s remaining hand.
Not yet.
Then, as if in prayer, he rested his head against the bedside and let out a low breath.
Chung Myung suddenly opened his eyes.
I fell asleep…….
It seemed he had dozed off for a moment.
That would normally have been impossible, but after fighting one desperate battle after another and going three straight days without sleep, even Chung Myung apparently had his limits.
Sasuk……!
Chung Myung lifted his head, a frightened look on his face.
Then his eyes went wide.
He was gone.
The bed where Un Geom had been lying was empty.
For a moment, Chung Myung’s mind went blank. He stared stupidly at the bed, then slowly got to his feet.
And, as if possessed, he began to walk out.
Step. Step.
Only the sound of his footsteps echoed through the silent infirmary. Through the crack of the front doors, the faint light of dawn was seeping in.
Chung Myung hesitated slightly, then slowly opened the door.
Creak.
There was only one place he needed to go. His mind felt empty, as though it had been hollowed out, but once he left the infirmary, he walked on steadily without stopping.
Where his feet led him was none other than Baekmae Hall.
Without even using light-footwork, he slowly arrived at Baekmae Hall and, in a dazed state, headed toward the training yard.
And then.
“…….”
At last, his steps came to a dead stop.
Chung Myung stood there dumbly, unable to speak, and stared ahead.
One person.
A man in a pure white training robe was swinging a sword.
His posture was as straight as ever, but the blade cutting through the air looked awkward for some reason.
And it was not only the sword that looked awkward.
The sleeve where an arm should have been flapped emptily as well.
But Chung Myung could not have cared less about any of that awkwardness.
Whoosh!
From above his head down.
The sword fell lightly and halted in midair.
The sword was raised again, traced the same arc, and cut through the air once more.
Once. Twice. Then again.
Nothing more than simple downward strikes.
The man repeated the motion over and over again with almost reverent solemnity, until at last, as though it had become too much, he gently slid the sword back into its scabbard.
Then he slowly turned.
“You came?”
“…….”
The man’s face was soaked with sweat. More than that, faint stains of blood seeped through the bandages wrapped around his body.
Staring blankly at him, Chung Myung asked without thinking,
“……What are you doing?”
The man, Un Geom, smiled warmly and replied,
“Can’t you tell? I was training.”
“…….”
Chung Myung could not speak.
No, there were too many things he wanted to say, but not a single one of them would come out easily. All he could do was stare at Un Geom in utter bewilderment.
Seeing that expression, Un Geom gave a small shrug.
“Since my right arm’s been cut off, I need to learn how to swing a sword with my left hand.”
“……Starting now?”
“Then when?”
Un Geom was calm to a degree that seemed impossible.
“A swordsman’s learning never ends. Of course, losing my right arm is unfortunate, but in another sense, it may be a blessing. It means I can begin again from the start.”
Chung Myung suddenly laughed.
No, perhaps he had broken into tears.
His face was twisted so strangely it was impossible to tell whether he was laughing or crying. In a trembling voice, he said softly,
“……Sasuk is…….”
He bit down on his lip a couple of times as though holding something back even after starting to speak, then forced the words out.
“……really beyond all reason.”
Un Geom only smiled and said,
“Will you help me?”
“…….”
“Learning to use my left hand sword will not be easy for me either. What do you think? If you help me, I imagine it’ll go a little more smoothly.”
Chung Myung lifted his head and looked up at the sky.
The early morning sky over Mount Hua was so startlingly blue it almost hurt to look at.
“I’m not going to treat you like a martial uncle.”
“As I hoped. Let’s see just how strict this great-nephew of mine can be.”
Chung Myung stepped into the training yard with an expression so complicated it was difficult to describe.
“……Sasuk.”
“Hmm?”
“……Never mind.”
“How disappointing.”
Un Geom tossed the sword at his waist toward Chung Myung. Catching it, Chung Myung held the blade up, and Un Geom smiled.
“Come now, let me see your sword.”
“……It’s not really the kind of sword I show off.”
Chung Myung gripped the sword in his left hand.
Then he stared at Un Geom for a moment before turning his head away again. If he kept looking, he felt as though he might show an ugly side of himself.
“Look properly. It’s annoying if I have to do this twice.”
“You insolent brat.”
A light laugh passed between them, and then silence settled in.
Soon, Chung Myung’s sword began to dance in a wave-like motion.
The young great-nephew wielded the blade, and the older martial uncle watched.
The young successor taught the sword, and the older descendant looked on.
A single tear slipped down Un Geom’s face, unnoticed, and merged with his warm smile.
Only the plum blossoms, blooming so softly around them, watched the two of them in silence.